


Feeding The Curious

by jasmynation



Series: Vividtale [4]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Ends with some sensitive topic, Frisk - Freeform, Gen, Maybe - Freeform, Positive energy, Spud is a bean, at least hinted, but I love him, did not expect to write him in but whoop, he ain’t core Vividtale like the other bois but I still love him, here we go in his story yay, he’s grown on me, how do you write characters that accept all pronouns, mostly happens during the writers journey, someone give these bois therapy, spice needs like a million hugs please be careful with him, spud darling you ain’t easy, tipper, trip has a weird addiction, trip is just weird, utmv - Freeform, vividtale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-07-14
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:47:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,183
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24804922
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jasmynation/pseuds/jasmynation
Summary: It’s time to share Trip’s adventure and the real start to his character development. Welcome to the wild ride that driven solely by curiosity and probably mostly written while I’m half awake.Starting before the happenings of “The Writer’s Journey”, aka Mira’s Story, but ending with some aftermath of that story.
Series: Vividtale [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710466
Comments: 6
Kudos: 3





	1. A Taste for Joy

_ There is nothing, in any world, that is good in high doses.  _

  
  


The curious being you know as Trip had many adventures prior to his meeting with Toner. Though his adventures were much less harmful initially, those who met him grew warry of his power. 

After his first experience with watching someone die because they wished to no longer have the little happy parasite inside them, Trip’s acceptance of death as a part of life without a second thought should have been the first clue to his ‘friends’. He openly told those he met about the event, in an odd amount of detail the first time, which caused the eerie question.

“You called him a friend, didn’t you? Aren’t you… sad about losing someone?” 

“Why would I want to be sad?” 

“It’s not about wanting, Trip, it’s okay to feel down sometimes.”

“Pfft, nah, sounds like a bummer, I’ll stick with my positive vibes thanks.” 

Those he called a friend in his first world began distancing themselves from him. Despite the parasites within some of them, Trip stopped bothering them once one gave him an answer.

“You’re too much! I… I’m sorry Trip… I just wanna feel normal again.” 

They cried, even with the parasite working hard to feed off whatever positive energy they had and produce much more, it didn’t seem to be enough. 

It became a lonely existence, the more the town folk’s concern grew. Trip found himself feeling much more empty than as this went on, so he worked on his magic when he couldn’t distract himself with anyone else. 

He learned quickly, to his amazement. Trip’s eye sockets released some kind of purple glowing magic whenever he used his powers. He could summon tentacle arms from the ground around him that he could control with his mind, and with his energy. It seemed though, that his magic was weakening with the lack of positive energy within him. 

_ Am I sad?  _ He wondered.  _ No, there is only positive energy within me. It’s just not enough. To feel sad I would have at least some negative energy. Actually, now that I think about it… what if I can’t accumulate my own energy like everyone else here? I am feeding on their positive energy. Only that. And frankly, I’m starving.  _

The curious skeleton made his way back to the village to the sound of screaming. Once he could see into the village, he had the chance to watch one of the monsters living there turn to dust and fly in the wind. 

_ I wonder what that feels like.  _

Trip found himself at the edge of another pile of dust. 

“Huh.”

“You!” The villagers began to gather by him, blaming him for apparently the death of many. Whenever he was about to speak, he was interrupted by more senseless shouting, concluding that there was no talking to them or calming them down, at least not now. He could not appease them. Or himself in this situation. His hunger more specifically. 

Trip teleported himself to another part of the village in search of positive energy, ignoring any angry monsters or humans. 

He found the same being that once asked him if he was sad about losing someone. This human seemed the least distant with him, and though they too were upset, had the highest concentration of positive energy in the village within them. ‘Determination’ he heard someone call it once. The way this human spoke was different than others, it was hard to explain, but they were often quiet and usually spoke with hand gestures to other villagers. 

The curious young skeleton approached the young distracted human.

“I need your help.”

Trips voice seemed to frighten them, perhaps because he could feel his eye sockets releasing that purple glow as his chest ached viciously. 

“I can’t help them. I don’t know what is happening. I’m lost. I wish I had the answer but I only know my instincts for certain.”

The human tilted their head, not used to Trip speaking so seriously, and approached him cautiously to offer help.

He took their hand that reached to him so gently. They held hope in him. It returned a tinge of hope in himself, but  _ it wasn’t enough.  _ Trip pulled them in following his senses, pressed his teeth against their lips not registering any sign of resistance from his companion. Through the close contact he could feel himself absorb their positive energy and satisfy the ache in his chest just as they fell limp in his arms. 

He pulled away, picking them up carefully and looking down at their pale complexion.

_ Did I kill them? That can’t be right. No their heart still beats, that’s how humans run. Good, they're alive then. Just no positive energy left. That’s fine, they can grow their own unlike me.  _

Trip took them to their home, tucked them carefully in bed and went off to find any other sources of energy. He hoped that if he had positive energy then it would spread to the parasites that were helping those being affected by his pets. Removing them killed them, leaving them in was killing them, so this new alternative, though perhaps seemingly intrusive, was much more efficient since it left the most beings alive. 

Once he’d fed off a few others energy, to his distaste a bit forcefully, he was correct. His pets were sustained by his energy enough that the epidemic was greatly slowed. Another problem developed though. It appears the villagers do not see his actions as he does. They grabbed weapons of all sorts and began their rampage.

“Don’t you see you’re making it worse. I have little control of this, it is your emotions that have done this.” Trip spoke clearly out to the villagers, alas it fell on deaf ears again. 

The curious skeleton grew only more confused by the strange actions taken by the villagers and left again deep into the forest. He found himself a nice rock by a pond to sit on, listening as monsters and humans alike search for him in the distance. 

_ Now what do I do? I don’t understand them at all, and they don’t understand me. This won’t work at all. _

He gazes up into the sky watching the sun setting slowly over the horizon. Trip couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Amongst all the chaos of sentient beings, nature went on without a second thought. 

An odd sound caught his attention to his right followed by an even odder sight. Where one would expect to see a continued pattern of the view of the forest, a circular picture so it seemed to block a patch of the familiar nature. Even more curiously, there was a being in this picture that moved back, perhaps shocked just as Trip was at the sudden delima.

“Uh, heya?” Trip smiled, scooting himself closer to the floating window, urging him to touch it.

“It shouldn’t have…" The skeleton inside the image seemed at a loss, pulling at the tight collar of his coat around his neck. 

“Whatcha’ doin’ here bud?” He gave in to his curiosity and touched the window just as he asked. This action seemed to snap the other skeleton back to life, quickly reaching for something that seemed to only convince Trip to try to escape through this hole in the air and be away from the mess of the village behind him. 

“SHIT!” The new skeleton screamed out as he fell back on the ground right after hitting an off switch. To his dismay, he’d been too late to shut the machine off, the colourful skeleton from the other side had jumped through and tackled him to the ground. “GET OFF!” He shoved the other off him, squirming away. “What do you think you're doing touching something you don’t understand?” He yelled, adjusting his cracked glasses. 

“Learning. And hopefully escapin’ something I couldn’t fix.” Trip sat up, crossed his legs and analyzed the new companion in front of him. “I’m… not even close to where I was before… you’re a bit like me?”

“I ain’t nothing like you.” He huffed, pushing himself up off the ground and dusting himself off. “I’m not an idiot.” 

“That’s not what I meant…” Trip put his hand to his soul. “Hm… no, I don’t feel like you’re too close to how I am. Close enough to investigate though. How’d you do that? The window thing that took me here?” 

“Well hello to you too.” 

“Oh, sorry bud!” Trip stood up and offered his hand to the one in front of him, beaming in that chipper and friendly way he does. “Pleasure to meet ya, name’s Trip. Like the one I just had!” He chuckled, using his other hand to tap his glasses in a mirroring way to how the other had adjusting his own clear glasses. 

“...” He looked Trip up and down, struggling to comprehend how all this could be. One thing was certain to him; there could be a good couple answers sitting right here between the two of them with just one conversation. So he took the others hand with a quick shake and drew back. “Spice.” He declared. “Call me Spice.”

“Not sugar?” Trip teased with another chuckle, knot earning him a sigh and eyelight roll from the one calling himself Spice.

_ This could be a long evening.  _ FellSci thought.

Though Spice was not part of the beings that were part of the center of Vividtale like FreshDream was, he coincidentally became a part of Trip’s story.


	2. A Taste of Spice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spice is really done with how weird existence is. A not-so-friendly face turns up for a 'nice' surprise. Trip's got a weird way of most efficiently absorbing magic.

_This is so weird._ Spice thought, sitting across the monster called Trip, who he’d managed to convince to sit down at a small desk with him.

“What were you expecting to happen?” Trip asked, stretching his arms out across the table.

“Nothing… well…” He sighs, “It’s not an easy answer. What were you so desperate to escape from?”

“Villagers who blamed me for their problems.” The colourful skeleton shrugged. “I like this. Seems like a fair way to ask questions and get answers.”

“Because it is. I need answers, and it seems you’re curious enough to want answers to.”

“Why don’t you fix your glasses?” Trip points to one of the cracks.

“With what? We don’t have anything here to fix glasses. I don’t even know how I got them.” Spice huffs, shifting his gaze to the coffee machine off on a counter in ‘his’ lab. “Want coffee?”

“What’s coffee?”

“A drink.”

“Oh sure.”

Spice gets up without another word and focuses on pouring them both cups of straight black coffee. He sets one of the mugs in front of his unwanted guest before sitting down and chugging half the cup. Trip stares into the weird dark liquid and carefully takes a sip, unaware Spice was watching with anticipation of seeing the cheery being spit the coffee back up. Instead, he was surprised to witness Trip’s glasses chance to ‘WOOW’ as he chugged the whole mug.

“Want another?”

“Can I?!” His glasses showed two star symbols.

“Sure… I’ll top off mine and start another pot.” Spice got up, taking the others mug and proceeding to do just as he said he would. He returned to the table with full mugs again, sitting back down and watching in awe as Trip downs it again. “Didn’t take you for someone with a taste for bitter things.”

“Is that what that taste is? It’s great.”

“Hm…” _Well, he’s not sleeping anytime soon, but neither am I so whatever._ “Back to business. You were talking about how we’re similar?”

“Yes and no. I can sense it with my magic. Just like I can tell you haven’t slept in three days.” He looks around the trashed room. “And it looks like you’ve been really busy here. What’s the ‘not an easy answer’ to what you were expecting with that machine?”

“Well,” Spice scans the other carefully and sighs. _No point in hiding it._ “I don’t know what any of these things do. Everyone expects it to be my lab, it feels vaguely familiar, but fucking hell I have no idea what I’m doing here other than losing my mind. So, no, I wasn’t expecting anything specific, or anything much at all, let alone a fucking portal!” He leans an arm on the table and leans the side of his head against the palm of that arm’s hand. “The only piece of crap in here I understand is the shit machine.” He gestures to the coffee machine.

“You don’t like coffee?”

“No, no, I call everything I love ‘Shit’- course I don’t fucking like it, tastes like liquid death and I just don’t care anymore cause at least the damn thing works and this crap keeps me awake while I try and figure everything else in the hell hole out.”

”You drink it even though it’s making you more miserable?”

“Don’t worry, don’t see how I can get more miserable than I am. Why do you care so much about my well being anyway?”

“I can feel what you feel, and what people around here feel. The others seem pretty satisfied with their lives but you’re really not. Makes me wonder why I guess, and if there is something that can be done about it.”

“Don’t bother, my misery is my own problem, no one else’s… so your magic lets you feel others emotions?”

“Sorta.” Trio pushes the chair a bit, learning it spins and deciding to play with said feature. “I can feel positive feelings, but I can still sense the energy people give off. I can’t seem to feel negative emotions even though I can read them from others. While I can only feel positive emotions if there are enough positive vibes around me.”

“Vibes?” He asked, partially regretting giving Trip his office chair while he’s sitting on a stool.

“Vibes, energy, feelings I guess.” The spinning skeleton shrugs.

“That’s… odd…” Spice sighs. “Alright, this might be a stretch but, any idea how we exist?”

“You don’t know?”

“No, how the hell am I supposed to know?! We all just… appeared! From, something?” The ‘scientist’ holds his hand in his hands, leaning his elbows on the table and groaning. “It doesn’t make any sense! And everyone else seems so quick to accept it like ‘hey it’s better this way right?’ But how do _they_ know it’s **better**? We have these vague memories of other stupid worlds, we almost feel like those people, but it’s more like dreams and we are not those monsters we remember being because-because it wouldn’t work! I couldn’t have been two skeletons at once like that? And even then, so much is missing. I feel like… I feel like…”

“There’s so much more to it than we can see?” Trip stopped spinning the chair, staring across the table at the one he questioned, and his glasses going completely blank.

“That… and like there is something I’m missing…”

“A missing piece? Like figuring out a puzzle without the picture and a couple of pieces missing…”

“More like, all I have are the corner pieces!” His voice raised, he threw his hands into the air and groaned again while he carefully leaned back on the stool. “It’s stupid. It’s all just stupid. I hate it. I hate this room. Look at this place!” He gestures to the room. “I don’t know what to do with any of this! But I’m supposed to go back to _normal_ they say. Who in their right mind thinks anything about this is normal?! Look at you! You’re… like… a fucking hippie or something?” Trio shrugs, before his gaze shifts to the ceiling. “You can tell huh? They’re all up there going on with their days like nothing… not a single question in their empty fucking heads.”

“I see.”

“So you understand me?” Spice looks almost hopeful to the other who just continued to blankly stare at the ceiling.

“You’re in a basement of sorts?”

“Maybe, the fuck does that have to do with anything?”

“Does no one know about this place? Or is it hard to get into?”

“Course people know, but ya need a code to get in and out of the lab, or be let in by someone else. I managed getting at least that shit to work. What’s this about?”

“Ah… well…” _I got away from one mess and just ran into another. Maybe it’s some kind of sign I should be trying something different…_ “It appears at some point in your rambling, someone appeared into your world and started killing everyone.”

“...” Spice just froze staring in disbelief at the stranger who was still intently staring at his ceiling. “Excuse me?”

“They’re really quick at that, wonder how they’re doing that.”

“Trip!” He slams his hands on the table, barely getting the others attention. Spice’s gaze is met with blank glasses. Somehow that neutral expression, the dull ‘vibe’ that emitted from his guest made his whole body ache. “Trip.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I can do. I thought I knew before but now everything seems so…”

“Pointless…”

“...”

“Are you… taking from my emotions or just emotionally numb?”

“Do you think I could take from your negative feelings?” A small hint of curiosity dragged back out of him.

“Never mind that, are you... serious?”

“I don’t think I can be anything but serious right now.” _This place got so dark so quickly. There is so much pain… fear… despair…_

“We have to get up there and fight this thing!” Spice hurried to grab something Trip couldn’t bother to ask about, then he grabbed Trip by the wrist and pulled him along upstairs.

_Fight? I don’t fight. I never did before. Is that what the world wishes? Is that what needs to be done? Something doesn’t seem right about that. There has never been an instance before in which I needed to fight._

“Wake up sunshine, I can hear the screaming.” Spice spoke with bland annoyance as he opened up the lab entrance. While Trip was deep in thought, he’d been dragged from the basement, up a flight of stairs and through a pair of code locked doors before being brought back to reality by Spice’s rough voice.

“Oh.” The door opened to somewhere very warm. Too warm, in Trip’s opinion. It only took a few steps before the two were greeted by a pile of dust. Despite this sign, they followed the cries of citizens, keeping away from the dust piles as best they could.

It was at the entrance between Hotland and Waterfall that they were witnesses to another quick death. A hooded figure standing much taller than either of the skeletons watching sprung up what appeared to be spikes of bone from the ground faster than a blink of the eye. The being turned rapidly to face them, surprising not looking as horrifying or evil as expected but they looked in pain.

Spice didn’t spare a moment before lifting his hand, his left eye glowing a dark red while he summoned a Gaster blaster quickly to blast the bastard away. Once the light of the magic blast was gone, so was the murderer before them. A smirk quickly plastered to his face, he was ready to boast about how weak the other monsters were compared to him.

His smirk fell when he suddenly coughed up blood, making him look down to see he had a spike right through his lower rib cage, nearly severing his spin and splitting him in two.

Trip had teleported as he sensed the mystery killer had moved. _He’s fast._ The curious skeleton watched as his new companion was brought to near death with one shot. _Why didn’t he just kill him like the others?_ Then he got to see his face and feel his energy.

“He’s closer to being like me… no… he’s more than me…” Which meant fighting him was definitely not an option, but what choice was he given? _Wait!_ Trip teleported himself to his dying impaled acquaintance, summoned an opaque yellow shield that surrounded them, even beneath their feet, and he pressed his mouth to the others.

Even dying and confused, Spice had the energy to bite the bastard's tongue for the nerve of pulling such a weird move now of all times, but it didn’t seem to deter him. The bone shard despawned in their safe little bubble and Spice felt himself healing, so he assumed this was the only purpose of Trip’s decision. When he’d pulled away, Trip felt himself fall to the ground on his knees with a cough.

“Shit, fuck- Trip- why?” Spice whipped his face, looking around and sighing with relief that the shield remained. “If it takes that much from ya, why the fuck did you heal me before kicking that jerk’s ass.”

“No… I can’t…” _What are these… emotions? All it is… pain… it hurts… so much… I can’t… get it out… No, I feel_ ** _him_** _now too._ ** _Exactly_** _how he feels._ “There is a better solution.” Trip frowned, his glasses reading in dark letters ‘ouch’ as he stood up, desummoning his portal, raising a hand and looking right into those twisted eyes, swirling with red and blue.

Yellow streams of magic sprang out from the ground around the hooded crazed skeleton, wrapping around him and holding him in place. He growled, squirming like a wild animal and snapping towards Trip. Even Spice was unsettled by the sight of such a wild being.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“I’m surprised you care…” Trip frowned.

“The fuck is your problem?” Spice tried to take a step but lost his balance and fell right to the ground, suddenly feeling exhausted and cold. _Hold up._ “Did you just-? Absorb my energy or something?” He couldn’t even sound angry, all that he felt was utter hopelessness.

“You should be thinking about how everyone here is dead.” The suddenly sour skeleton walked over to who will one day soon be called Rusty, tightening what one may call magic tentacles until his swirling eyelights dimmed. “Stop.” He demanded of the monster, his glasses echoing him before he dropped the wild being and left them to fall to their hands and knees.

Trip walked over to Spice, watching as the acquaintance had at some point passed out, so he picked him up and carried him off back to the lab. He laid him on the table and decided to fiddle with the machine until a thought came to him.

_That guy got here without a machine. Could I?_

He looks to his hand, letting the magic flow to his hand, noting that his magic was turning more orange than yellow, something he assumes is from absorbing negative feelings instead of positive ones. It left him more powerful here, as the only two beings left had strong negative energies, but it felt wrong. Like it hurt his soul. He wanted out of here and somewhere he could switch back to absorbing positive emotions. If he had to only do one at a time, he was certainly pleased the more pleasant feelings were his default setting.

Trip raised his hand to an empty space and tried to imagine opening a doorway like the one he’d gone through. This took only a few attempts thankfully before he was looking through a window to a nicer world. Somewhere that seemed bright and cheery, with a nice little garden just up ahead of them. He turned around and considered picking the other up to take with him again.

Trip shrugged, turned back around, and went through the portal. _He has no answers and no interest in being happy. He didn’t seem to care about those other monsters anyway, and he’s safe in that lab. He’ll be fine there._

_I have adventures to go on now._


	3. A Taste of Bittersweet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The beginning of obsession, the aftermath of The Writer's Journey and Rusty's wreckage and oh gees will someone give these kids a therapist, please.

Not much time had passed since Trip discovered his power to travel through worlds. It seems the most efficient way though is not through portals. He learned that if he wished to be at something specific, he can teleport places, even through worlds. He knows this for certain when he teleported back to Spice, seeing the other sitting in his office chair staring blankly at a wall, without the slightest sign of registering Trip’s presence, so he left. 

The curious skeleton had been enjoying that first world he discovered after Spice’s. They were above ground, with a focus on dancing, and keeping the peace. Trip remained on the down-low about his powers this time. He figured perhaps that was for the best, not wanting to ruin such a bright little world. He’d been staying at a nice Inn with a garden in the back. The cheery monster couldn’t help but enjoy walking around the little patch of diverse flowers and fruits.

Then he sensed it. Someone very different, two someones in fact, and they weren’t too far away. It felt as if they were watching him as well.

He decided for the moment to act natural and wait for what they’d do. Then one left. _Curious._ The one that stayed had such fascinating energy, Trip wondered what was running through this being's mind as they were watching him. He gave in to the curiosity as he does and looked over.

For a moment, he saw a vague goopy head that seemed coloured mostly of black and pink and then gone. _No._ Not gone, they ducked, they haven’t left yet. 

Unfortunately, when he teleported over, they had left in the short time it took him to get there. So many questions ran through his head. He wanted to know why they were here watching him. 

_That’s right!_ Trip began trying to use his teleportation powers to get to the being. The tricky part was the last of specificity he had on this demand of his powers. It took him what maybe felt like forever before he found himself at the end of a hill. 

He started up the hill, making his way up all the way to the top only to find a puddle of weird goop. _Did he melt? It wasn’t that hot out here._ He looked around, sensing the energy of that being but it felt so much more out of whack. Deciding to remain in the shadows, far enough away, he watched as three beings walked into a small cabin. He couldn’t get a good look at anyone but the being he was focused on. 

_That energy… it feels like… I feel… so…_

He teleported back to the garden and fell to the ground. Trip had to take his glasses off and scratch under his headband. He’d been so overwhelmed so quickly by focusing on that energy, he didn’t feel ready for it. 

_I need to sort this out. I have questions but that was… not something I can tread lightly._

Trip let himself calm down in the garden before he decided to continue about his day like nothing happened. And the next. And the next. Until it had been a week or so, after an exciting dream of meeting this monster and feeling more whole than he’d ever felt. Like he was normal. It had a taste of negative emotions and positive emotions. Even more enticing, the being seemed to need him in a way no one else had, understanding him for everything he was and growing protective of him.

He wanted that.

He needed that.

Apparently, his thoughts grew too strong in his dreams as he was awoken by falling onto soft dirt ground with a thud and a groan. _What?_ Trip pulled himself up, immediately knowing where he was by the energy he could sense. He summoned his glasses, adjusted them on to his face before standing up and walking up to the door of the cabin. 

“Anyone home?” Trip asked as he knocked softly on the door, an odd noise from the door peeked his interest and then he watched as the door creaked on its way to smack hard against the ground. “Oh.” _I didn’t knock hard._ He peered inside to see the destroyed interior of what he guessed was once a quaint little cottage-like place. He could feel just where the source was and why it was this way. 

“Go away…” A soft, broken voice spoke out to him, irking him right to his soul to a point he suddenly craved scooping this being up and protecting them from their own hatred. 

“Nope.” He let himself in and made his way right into the bedroom. “Hiya!” A goopy mess of negative feelings was wrapped up in blankets on a bed, he just looked over at the unwanted guest with tired eyes. 

“... why are you here?” Toner asked softly. 

“You’re interesting!” He leaned on the door frame.

 _It’s him._ Toner thought. _The one Mira… I don’t… I couldn’t… but…_

“I’m Toner.”

“I’m Trippin’!” He wasn’t even joking, all those emotions, that energy he got from Toner just from being close. Trip could have sworn he never felt this at peace. It was a trip.

“What’s your name?”

“Imma Trip.” 

“You can’t be serious can you?” The goopy skeleton sighed, clearly not understanding.”

“Pfft! I’m in-pause-able!” Trip chuckled, ecstatic about this whole encounter. “My name _is_ Trip.” 

“Oh…” _This feels…_ “Well, you should leave Trip.”

“Leave?” _But you just said my name and it shot a wave of something I don’t understand through me! I ain’t going nowhere yet!_ “I can help you through. You’re sad right? I make people happy. Kinda my job.”

“Nice job. I don’t think you can help me though.”

“This isn’t your room is it?” Trip wandered in, looking at the messy notes and pictures all over the walls in writing he didn’t understand. “Doesn’t smell like you.” More specifically, the room had a kind of energy to it that didn’t really match Toner’s, but it was easier to just point out the smell. It did faintly smell of Toner now as well though, at least as he approached the bed that was slowly being soaked with whatever it was the depressed goopy creature was made of.

“It’s… not.” Toner gripped the blanket harder like it was a shield to protect him from pain. It didn’t work, of course, he was still in pain.

“Nah, it’s…” The brighter skeleton froze as he felt a liquid fall down his face. He wiped some off with a finger and looked at it. 

_I’m crying? No, he’s crying. He’s the one in pain. Is this… real empathy?_ Trip finds himself frowning and looking solemnly to the bundle of blanket, hiding its face from him. _I feel bad for him. He’s… grieving, yes, I remember that energy. That feeling. Spice had a tinge if that too, but he’d let his anger take priority._ He looked back at the doorway. _Is that just what happens before people really grieve? Perhaps I should not have left him alone in that state…_

Trip sits on the edge of the bed, careful to keep his distance. He covers his mouth with his hand as he tries pushing the overwhelming shock of various emotions he couldn’t feel in regards to his past actions. _This isn’t about me right now._ He shook his head, wiping his tears in his sleeve and turning to wrap his arms around Toner’s blanket cocooned body. 

“I’m sorry.” Trip spoke softly as he hugged the other tightly. 

Toner wanted to yell, scream even, _how dare this stranger consider touching me_ . Instead, he found himself desperately leaning into the affection and returning to his sobbing state. _I don’t have the energy to fight… to argue… what good does that do… I know he means well, I can feel it. I feel his sincerity._

 _I don’t deserve help… but Mira… all he wanted was for me to be okay… it’s Mira’s wish. Maybe… Trip_ **_can_ ** _help…_

They sat like that crying together like they’ve never cried before, which for one of them was true until they’d tired themselves out and passed out. A blanket between them as Trip kept his arms around Toner, not daring to loosen his grip even in sleep as if he was holding the goopy monster together. Neither could remember their dreams that night. Trip awoke first after said little nap since he’d just woken up when he got here. Despite being awake, he stayed put. 

_He’s warm. Smells like… apples? No… too bitter… but sweet… it’s… like nothing else. His energy is just like mine. I can tell. Just being in the same world I felt like I was more stable. Like I could understand others better. The closer I am the more I feel… everything… almost everything at least._

_What are we then? You so full of emotions, and I do empty… am I taking that burden from you? Do you feel lighter? Better? Just because I’m here?_

_Do you feel it too?_

_I don’t dare wake you. What if you hate this too, or if you hate me… I’m thinking so much about this… I’ve never thought so much about anyone else before… I don’t understand…_

_He doesn’t want my help._

_I don’t care to help those that don’t want my help._

_Yet here I am._

_Craving helping him anyway._

The faint sound of rain against the tree leaves and the wood breaks the quiet. Trip looks out the window just across from them. It pours down hard against the window as the conscious skeleton thinks about those he may have hurt like someone hurt Toner. The state of the rest of the cabin was made more apparent once he noticed the sound of rain dripping into the house. 

Still, he refused to let go. Letting go of Toner sounded painful. Like letting go of one’s soul. He couldn’t dare. 

“What the-” Toner awoke to a sudden burst of loud thunder and a flash from the window. “Shit, our house, Mira,” Deep down, he knew it wasn’t Mira. The brothers hadn’t been affectionate in any manner really, apart from an occasional hug. Both were rather uncertain about how they felt towards physical contact. Yet, he was in Mira’s room and wanted so badly to turn and see his brother had returned and it was just a horrible nightmare. “Oh.” _That’s right._ “You don’t have to keep that up…” _I should thank him. I apparently needed that. A hug. To cry it out with someone. I don’t know._ “I have to go fix the holes.” He stated plainly, slipping out from the blanket and Trips hold. 

Despite keeping his expression neutral, he was pleasantly surprised to notice his form being stable. In fact, he felt like he was almost completely solid, even though his emotions were everywhere. Taking a deep unnecessary breath, he stood up and looked out the window. _It’s been raining so much since…_

“It’s not your fault.” Trip has sat up and was entranced by the other.

“I know.” Toner didn’t remember directly blaming himself, even though he did feel guilty for Mira’s death. The ball of sunshine in his bed spoke with such clarity and beamed with such calming energy, he was sure they could have told him anything and it would reassure him. _Thank you._ He wished he could handle saying that. 

The previously goopy creature was now more clearly a dark boned skeleton. This unstable form only peeked the guest’s interest. Trip’s glasses read the other’s name as he watched him make his way to the kitchen. The brighter skeleton then followed. As he watched Toner fix up the ceiling with a struggle, he used his own powers to plug up the holes for him, beaming a smile to the frustrated monster.

_Do I smile back? Thank him? Is there a point? I don’t know what I want Mira…_

The dark bones skeleton looked away and continued to create patches for the ceiling. The two empathic creatures seem to work harmoniously together without speaking a word, even when they moved on to cleaning the place up. The last thing to do when evening came was just waiting for things to dry and fix the oven. Once Toner tried opening it the door fell off the hinges and revealed a very burnt pie. 

_Errosion’s pie._

“Did I hurt Erros?” His memories of his ‘tantrums’, as he called them, were often very foggy. 

“I don’t think so.” Trip assured, looking around and assuming his companion must have meant someone else he couldn’t care less for.

“You weren’t there.” Toner spat back at him.

“Well, there isn’t any blood or dust anywhere.” 

“... that’s not what I meant.”

“I don’t think I understand then.”

_Just leave me alone, why are you here?! This is stupid. No, it’s… he’s just…_

“Toner?” That name on his tongue almost just as pleasant as it’s namesake spoke his name. 

“Forget it.” He glared daggers at Trip, watching the words on their glasses change from ‘TONER’ to ‘WOAH’. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Fair enough.” _I’ll get more out of you one day._

Toner picks up the pie with some mittens, walks out to the porch and tosses the cursed thing into the forest. 

“I think I hate pie now.” Toner states randomly with a sigh.

“There’s plenty of other things to bake.” Trip stands beside him as the dark-toned skeleton stares out into the colourful forest. 

“Why are you still here?” _Shit, I let that slip._

“I want to help you.”

“I don’t think… I want to depend on anyone to feel okay anymore. Look where that lead me.”

“This time.”

“You think you’re different, but you’re throwing the same words at me as Mira did…”

“The one ya mourning?”

“...I don’t want your help. I… need to be alone right now. Figure some things out.”

“...” _He’s probably right. Why do I feel annoyed at that response? I suppose I always did, it always made me feel neutral. I’d stop caring for people that didn’t want help. Is this just what I really feel about that?_ “Okay.” 

“Really?” Toner looked over at Trip and was met with those weird glasses repeating their owner’s words. Somehow he expected there to be more of a fight. “Uh, I mean, okay…” He looks away again. 

“Bye then.” _If I leave will it hurt?_ Trip was couldn’t but go against his own desires when his mind had to wonder what would happen now to be away from the other. So he left.

Toner watched Trip’s body glow and reform into a little ball of light before disappearing altogether.

 _Will he visit? Do I want him to? What am I going to do now?_ The lonely skeleton looked back out into the heavy rain, watching it soak the burnt pieces of smashed up blueberry pie on the wet dark green grass.  
  


Trip travelled to another world, filled with lots of positivity and stranded in space. He looked up into space and wondered how he felt. All negativity washed from him quickly. The curious skeleton was back to only feeling positive energy. He could not miss the feeling of ‘fullness’. He could not miss the new potential friend he met. He could only admire the stars. 

_What was that?_

“Y’all right sunshine?” A sweet voice spoke to him from a bit away. Trip lowered his gaze to meet eyelights with one of the locals. They notably wore a lot of fluffy and felt full of kindness and hope. 

“Think’in.”

“Wanna come think over here?” The new skeletons patted a spot beside them where they sat. “Sometimes, even when we just wanna sit and think, the company can be nice.” Trip nodded and joined them in stargazing.

“A lot of beings are sad.” Trip spoke softly after a few moments of silence. 

“Yeah…”

“Even when they have all the chances to be happier, some would even…”

“Rather be sad.”

“So you get it then?” Trip looked over at the other who continued to focus on the stars, a solemn look in his eye sockets.

“I think everyone knows, deep down yanno? Sometimes, ya just wanna be sad. Let it out. Feel better later… some just… can’t let it go…” They place a hand over their chest and sigh. “Best ya can do is be there for them when they call.”

“...” Trip looked back out at the stars again, furrowing his brows. “What if they don’t call?”

“Then… I don’t know… maybe no one knows… you can’t help someone that doesn’t want ya help.”

Trip reached to grip the star pin that held his cape on like it was his heart as he thought deeply on the other’s words. He could guess this was something that probably would frustrate him. Toner wanted to be sad alone. He didn’t want his help, even though for a time he took it. It didn’t make any sense. Spice put himself in that room that made him more miserable.

Then there were others. That monster that had killed everyone in Spice’s world. He was hurting but he didn’t want to. He had no control. No way to accept or ask for Trips help and at the time Trip only had Spice’s frustration to guide him. Or those that would die because of his magic parasites. They were normal. Feeling those emotions, negative and positive, was all… normal. Good. Healthy. It’s the imbalance that makes emotions dangerous. Can no one control them? Keep them together? Decide to just be better? 

“How do you keep up so much hope, knowing this?”

“I guess I’m just… too stubborn to not keep hopin’.” They laughed nervously. 

“I think there’s someone that needs to meet someone like you.” Trip sits up, turns a bit and opens a portal behind them to Spice’s world. “I can’t go back there, but maybe you could help him see some hope?” 

“O-oh? I-I don’t know if I’m really…” They nervously stare at the portal. “I-I’m not qualified I mean— you don’t even know my name!”

“I’m Trip, they’re name is Spice.”

“Name’s Spud. And I’m not a therapist.” Spud raised his hands in defence. 

“Nah, but you’re friendly and hopeful, maybe more than me even. I think you’re what they need.” Trip smiled brightly at the other thinking this would make up for any pain he caused by leaving Spice alone and disregarding any trouble this may be causing Spud. “He’s got a portal that can bring ya back no problem.”

“Ah, um, well that’s not my main concern… Of course, I want to help but—”

“Great!” Trip cheered pushing Spud into the portal and then patting his hands like he just did a job well done. 

_Hmm, what else can I do then? That felt good! Oh, right, not like it could feel bad though. Maybe I can find that other guy, the one that killed all those monsters at Spice’s! And find a way to help him! Nice! Trip’s back on duty!_

*** _ **TRIGGER WARNING;** TALK OF SUICIDE AND SUICIDE ATTEMPT. If that is a sensitive topic to you, consider stopping reading here, this is a bonus bit of Spice and Spud to end the story off_***

Spud crashed onto a cold concrete floor, they were sure they’d be feeling that for a while. She pushed herself up from the ground and took a quick look around to find a familiar and horrible sight. 

A rope was tied to metal piping on the ceiling, on the other end it looped around the neck of a dangling skeleton who was just beginning to dust. 

With a surge of adrenaline, Spud teleported right over, grabbed the other's legs and lifted him. They could hear him suddenly gasp and thence moment later, sigh. The skeleton with the fluffy outfit gripped tightly to the stranger as tears ran done their face. 

“STOP DOING THIS TO ME STARLIGHT!” He cried out, as Spice pulled the rope off his neck and fell limp over the other's shoulder. Spud yelped at the sudden weight and struggled to steady himself. They came to realize at the sight of the ripped pants and dark studded boots that this wasn’t Ceno and he wasn’t in any void. “I…”

“Was-” He coughed up some blood. “A stupid… idea…” Spice tried to laugh and just coughed more. Yet another unwanted guest in ‘his’ lab coming to his rescue. 

“Don’t talk, please,” They instructed, walking over to a table and carefully laying Spice down so he can check his neck wound. “you certainly made a dent…” She looked around until her eyes landed on a big sink in a counter with some drawers. They rushed over to search for a cloth or rag, thankfully finding one and then soaking it before heading back over to gently clear the other face and then neck. 

Spice just laid there without a care. There wasn’t a point to refuse care, just like there was no point to anything. He clearly wasn’t allowed to die. He was supposed to just suffer here in this empty world of dust and bones. 

_Fair enough._ He decided, staring up at the rope that hung from his ceiling. _I should have just enjoyed what I had when I had it I suppose. Then I’d be dead with them. But I couldn’t settle for that. This is the price I pay. Death would be a gift. I’m not worthy of freedom like that._

“You’re Spice, right? Just-uh- look at me if you are, okay?” And so he did. “O-okay… look away for no then. Is there anyone here that can look after you?” He looks away. “... no one, huh?” He continues to look away. They sigh at the familiarity that stenched this scenario he always played through with an old friend at this point. “I can stay for a bit.”

“It’s not your fault.” For a moment the two locked eyelights, in a moment of perhaps complete understanding somehow. “It was a mistake…”

“You still shouldn’t speak… but that’s a pretty prepared accident.” Spud holds the cloth gently to the other's neck until Spice brings his hand to hold it their instead. 

“I said a mistake, not an accident.” He raised his other hand and flowed magic to it. “I can’t heal myself, do you know how to-?”

“Oh right!” Their magic didn’t normally work on Ceno, so when it came to situations like these their instincts shifted. They let the magic flow to the palm of their hand, placing it on the other's neck as he moved the cloth away. “I… forgot…”

“The way you acted sure seemed like you dealt with this a lot.” No response. “Who’s ‘starlight’?”

“...” Spud tensed, looking to the ground. “Someone I can’t even heal.”

“You’ve got bad luck with who you surround yourself with huh?”

“They’re not bad.” 

“They don’t sound good.”

“They're in pain. Shouldn’t you understand?”

“I was trying to escape a pointless life. They have someone who cares enough for them to help them so much, ya saw me and was brought right back to them. That don’t sound too healthy.” 

“Trip seemed to care what happened to ya.” Spud took his hand away as the wound had healed.

“So that’s how you got here… huh, figured he’d forgotten me or thought I was as good as dead.” Spice squints, looking around for his glasses.

“He thought I could help you…” 

“Some people ain’t worth helping.”

“I refuse to believe that.” They cross their arms, looking determined as ever.

“How’s that going for you?” He swung his legs down from the table, hopped off and walked over to get his glasses. 

“Better than how things are going for you.” Spud spat then immediately covering his mouth and mumbling through. “I AM SO SORRY I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME THERE THAT WAS SO RUDE!”

“Calm down, I don’t care.” He tapped his glasses to his head and adjusted them before glancing back at the other. “And maybe you’re right. What do I know.”

There was yet another moment of painful silence between the two before Spice moved to climb onto his stool and reach up the rope, Spud’s instincts causing him to quickly move and grab the other’s shirt.

“I’m taking it down. It was a dumb idea. I’m not ‘starlight’.” 

“I…” They take their hand back and watch intently as he does just as he said he would, tossing the rope in the trash and pushing the stool back where it was. 

“Want a coffee?” Spice asked walking over to the machine that produced the awful tasting liquid he forced himself to consume all the time.

“Do you have milk and sugar? I can’t drink it straight.” Anyone else would perhaps think it was weird to talk so casually now, but Spud was so used to behaviour like this he knew it was best not to push. At least, it was like that with Ceno. 

“If I have milk, it’s probably gone bad. I think I have sugar though. I don’t think that goes bad.” 

“That’s fine then.” Normally, they needed both but considering the situation, perhaps a bit of bittersweet was called for.


End file.
